Intellectually Attracted
by becsti
Summary: The truth behind Lana and Mia's "intellectual attraction".


**A/N** : So, quite recently I was surprised to learn that it was Ema who spoke the iconic phrase, not Lana herself. And so it got me wondering: just where did Ema come up with such an idea?

* * *

Mia threw her textbook down and flopped back on the bed with a huff. Property law was dry at the best of times, but wrapping her head around successive adverse possession was going to make her brain shrivel up. Lana didn't bother to look up from her own text. She was quite used to Mia's frustration at any law that wasn't criminal.

After a minute of silence, Mia rolled onto her side to face Lana. The older woman was still engrossed in her evidence law text, a frown of concentration on her brow. Mia pouted in envy. A year and a half behind Lana, Mia was still stuck with the boring foundation subjects. Lana made a pencil marking in her book before turning to the next page.

"Lana," Mia drawled, reaching across to tap Lana's foot. Before she could make contact, Lana slipped her foot under herself so she was sitting cross-legged.

" _Lana_ ," Mia tried again, fingers dancing teasingly above the other woman's knee. With a sigh, Lana shut her book and placed it on the bed beside her.

"Mia. You should be studying."

"I'm on my break," Mia said as she began drawing shapes on Lana's knee.

"That's about the fifth break in an hour."

"Well, you know what they say," Mia began, fingers slowly making their way up Lana's thigh. "Study is best done in 20 minute blocks."

"You're supposed to be studying possession, not my leg," Lana replied, swatting Mia's hand away.

"Lana," Mia implored, "you've been studying for an hour straight. I think it's time _you_ had a break." A cheeky smile spread across Mia's face.

Lana leant back against her bed's headboard, her back cracking painfully. Her physiotherapist had warned her of the back and neck conditions she'd develop if she sat down too much. A more balanced lifestyle was needed, with far more physical activity. Mia's implicit invitation was tempting, but…

"We can't," Lana sighed. "Ema's in the next room."

Mia rolled her eyes. Ema was visiting from Europe over the winter break. She was completely absorbed in the science kit Lana had bought her for Christmas. Mia hadn't even seen her take a toilet break away from the thing.

"She's not going to walk in and you know it," Mia assured, crawling up next to Lana. "And besides," she continued, leaning to whisper into Lana's ear, "I can be very, _very_ quiet." Her hand resumed its journey up Lana's thigh, and Lana's breath hitched as it slipped under her skirt.

"I s-suppose I have no objections to that."

"The prosecution rests, then?" Mia teased, hand reaching Lana's underwear.

Lana gave a breathy laugh. "The defence may begin its case."

With her free hand, Mia turned Lana's head towards her and their noses brushed against each other. Mia swung her leg around to straddle Lana's lap and their lips —

* ** _Bang_** *

The bedroom door burst open and Ema came bounding into the room.

"Lana!" Ema exclaimed excitedly. Her eyes were focused on the beaker in her hands, near overflowing with green goo. "You just have to see what I…" Ema's mouth snapped shut as she looked up at the scene before her. Mia jumped out of Lana's lap with a squeak. "What's going on here?" Ema asked, eyes narrowing.

Mia and Lana shared a desperate look.

"Well, ah…," Lana began, turning back to her sister. "I-it's not what it looks like. Really."

Ema's eyes darted between the pair. She slipped her pink glasses over her eyes as if to get a better view of the scene in front of her. "It sure looks like what it looks like."

Mia didn't know Ema all that well, and another quick glance at Lana told her that Lana was not comfortable telling Ema about their relationship.

"Your sister is right, Ema," Mia said, trying to keep her voice steady. "We're, ah, just…" _Not friends. She'd never buy 'just friends'_. Mia's eyes searched the room desperately. They latched onto the property law text and brightened with an idea. "Intellectually attracted! Yes, that's it: _we're_ _intellectually attracted to each other_."

"Intellectually attracted?"

"Mmhmm," Mia nodded emphatically. She swung her arm around Lana's shoulders. "Intellectually attracted." Lana offered her sister a weak smile.

Ema studied the pair for a long time, not entirely convinced by Mia's explanation. "But… what were you doing just now when I walked in?"

"Oh, you know," Mia said with a wave of her hand, trying to come up with something, _anything_. "Brains."

" _Brains_?" Both Skye sisters echoed, Mia receiving a covert elbow to the ribs from the elder one.

Mia's smile grew more and more strained. "Y-yep. Gotta love your sister's brains." She ruffled Lana's hair (and, in a bizarre move, sniffed it) in an attempt to give her words some sort of credibility.

"Huh," Ema said, mulling over Mia's words. "Tell me more about this 'intellectual attraction'."

"Well!" Lana exclaimed, jumping off the bed. "Would you look at the time. We've got to get back to studying. Exams are coming up as you know." She took Ema by the shoulder and steered her towards the door.

"But–"

"Perhaps that could be your next topic of scientific enquiry," Lana ventured. "Once you get back to Europe of course."

Ema opened her mouth to object, but Lana pushed her out of the room and quickly closed the door, locking it for good measure.

Mia was still kneeling on the bed wide eyed when Lana whipped around to face her.

"'Intellectually attracted'?", she hissed.

"What?" Why was Lana so put out about it? It had worked, hadn't it? "Did _you_ have a better explanation?"

Lana considered this for a moment before sagging against the door. "No… No, I did not." She trudged back to the bed and collapsed onto the mattress face first. When she got sick of breathing in the duvet cover, she turned her head to look at Mia. A small smile played at her lips. "It _was_ rather clever, I must admit."

"Of course it was," Mia said with a triumphant smirk. She lay down on the bed mirroring Lana's pose. "After all, that's why you're intellectually attracted to me, right?"


End file.
